“Yes,” Olivia said, glancing at me. “Do you know him?”
Montego visibly shuddered, the color draining from his face.
“Do I?” He let out a humorless chuckle. “He’s known as the Monster of Darkness.” His voice dropped lower. “Was he at the party?”
I frowned. “You mean you didn’t see him? He yelled at Costa.” I narrowed my eyes. “At the show.”
Montego sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “I’ve seen that performance too many times. I was… otherwise engaged.” His lips curled into a smirk. “With a few lovely women.”
I rolled my eyes.
Olivia, however, frowned. “I thought everyone was required to attend that spectacle. One of the guards forced us to watch.”
Montego waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, they try to enforce it, but we old-timers can get away with bending the rules.” His eyes glinted with amusement. “I’ve been coming here for a long time.”
A chill crawled up my spine.
“How do you know Balthazar?” I asked, my voice carefully controlled.
Montego exhaled, his expression darkening. “He lives around here. He’s been traveling a lot, or so I’ve heard. But if he’s back…” He shook his head. “Something’s afoot. He brings trouble wherever he goes.” A shadow flickered across the count’s face. “He changed after Alina died. He was never the same.”
Olivia’s fingers tightened around mine. “You met Alina?”
Montego nodded solemnly. “Yes, poor girl. She was all caught up with Balthazar, and everyone knew he wasn’t good for her.” He clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“What do you know about her death?” Olivia pressed.
Montego sighed. “Only what the gossip mongers whispered in town. She died a tragic death. And, as I said, Balthazar fell into despair. I never understood their relationship. She was such a bright, free spirit… and Balthazar?” He let out a short, dry laugh. “He was nothing but a wind-sucker.”
Olivia’s brows lifted. “A what?”
Montego smirked. “A jealous cad. He practically kept her under lock and key. But such beauty… such light cannot be captured.” He tilted his head, studying Olivia with newfound curiosity. “You resemble her, you know. You carry that same ephemeral beauty that she possessed.”
Olivia held his gaze but offered nothing but a polite, “Thank you, Count.”
Montego shifted. Then, in a lighter tone, he asked, “So… what kept you two apart for so long?”
“Our travels,” I said, glancing out the window at the endless sea of stars floating in the heavens.
“Yes, Roman and I had to part for a time,” Olivia added, her voice softer, as if the memory of our separation still carried its ache.
Montego nodded, then turned his keen gaze toward Olivia. “And where did you return from, my dear?”
“I was staying east of here,” Olivia said, her tone measured, keeping her answer intentionally vague. “And now, I’m staying with Malik. Do you know him?”
Montego chuckled. “Of course! Lord Malik is well known, though he’s not one for socializing. He keeps to himself, mostly.”
Olivia’s frown deepened. “Malik was supposed to wait for me at the party. I hope he’s okay.”
Montego waved a hand. “Oh, Malik can take care of himself, I assure you. I saw him leave the festivities earlier.”
Olivia’s brows pulled together. “Did you?”
“Yes.” The count smiled knowingly. “He can tell you where he went—we’ve arrived.”
He gestured toward the window just as the carriage turned onto a grand, sprawling driveway. Ahead, a villa as impressive as Montego’s and Costa’s loomed in the moonlight, its stone facade bathed in silvery shadows.
As the carriage came to a stop, Montego inclined his head toward us. “Shall I send the carriage for you later?”
